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RICHFIELD 鈥� Richfield鈥檚 police and fire services should be getting the opportunity to hire some help following the passage of a referendum following the election on Tuesday.

Of the total 4,489 votes cast, 3,262 (72.67%) were for it, while the remaining 1,227 (27.33%) were against. This majority is enough to pass the referendum.

According to Village Administrator Jim Healy, who was asked previously about what the process of implementation would look like moving forward, the proposed increase in the property tax levy will be $1.25 million, which translates to a property tax increase of an estimated $63.02 annually per $100,000 of assessed value, starting with bills issued in December of this year.

With these changes in place, the impact to a Richfield home valued at $400,000 would be increased by roughly $252 annually.

This money would help with hiring staff from the soon-to-be dissolved Richfield Volunteer Fire Company, including hiring a fire chief. Additionally, the village would be able to fund a third sheriff鈥檚 deputy through the Washington County Sheriff鈥檚 Office to help hand increasing calls for service, which have grown 26% over the past decade.

Healy also included a statement in support of the passage of the referendum, thanking the community for their support and their activeness during the process of introducing, explaining and gathering feedback for this item.

鈥淚 am deeply grateful to our Richfield community for the enthusiastic, productive and important discussions we have shared over the several months leading up to this election. On a day-to-day basis, our firefighters and officers serve their Richfield neighbors through what can be terrible circumstances 鈥� always lending steady support,鈥� said Healy. 鈥淎pproval of this referendum demonstrates the mutual support the Richfield community has for its first responders. The Village does not take this support lightly and will work diligently to assemble a Richfield Fire Department that provides the level of service that our residents deserve.鈥�

All election results are preliminary and unofficial until canvassed.

4 of 4 precincts reporting

See all of our fall primary election results here.